Emotional support
For anyone who is, or has been, a patient.
Emotional support for people living with cancer, or who have lived with it, with someone who has been there too. Individual conversations, online or in person.
This support is offered in Portuguese only
I accompany people with cancer in Portuguese only. What gets spoken about in these sessions is intimate, and often technical, and I want to be certain I can follow you word for word. Portuguese is my mother tongue, and here that weighs more than convenience.
It is the club nobody chose to join.
Nobody applied, nobody wanted in, and there is nothing beautiful about the reason we are here. And at the same time, the people you meet in this club are of a rare quality.
I had cancer too. That is how Ser Paciente began. I am not telling you this to put myself at the centre of your story. I am telling you so that you know you will not have to explain everything.
The hospital treats the illness. Between appointments, you are left alone with it. That is where this work happens.
Who this is for
- Someone in treatment right now who needs a place where they do not have to be anything.
- Someone who has finished treatment and found that this is where they are left on their own.
- Someone who has been told "it is behind you now" and does not know how to say that it is not.
- Someone who wants to talk to a person who has been through it.
Who it may not be for, right now
- If you are looking for a second medical opinion, this is not the place. That is for your medical team.
- If you need help immediately, in a crisis, this is booked days in advance and is no use for right now.
- If the person who is ill is someone else and what you are looking for is help for them, talk to me first. We can look at what makes sense.
This is emotional support, and it is not therapy. It is not psychotherapy, it is not psychological care, and it does not replace your treatment or your medical team. No diagnoses are made here and no guidance is given about treatment. It is a conversation about what you are going through, with someone who went through it too. If what you need is regular clinical care, I will say so plainly and, if you want, point you to someone.
How it works
First session
150€
2 hours
It is two hours because it is the first time you tell the whole story, and an hour and a half is not enough for that without rushing you. It is the only conversation that is booked through the site.
Later sessions
80€
45 minutes to an hour
There is no set frequency, no minimum number, and no commitment to continuity. It can be one and no more. If you want to come back, we arrange it then. These are booked directly with me, not through the site.
If you have read this far and you would like to talk, write to me. You can write in English. The conversations themselves are held in Portuguese, and if that works for you, we will find a time.
Write to MartaIf money is the problem
A diagnosis usually arrives alongside less work and more expense. If the price is what stops you, write to me at marta@serpaciente.pt or talk to me on WhatsApp and we will find a way.